MHA ready to provide 85,000 paramilitary personnel for poll duties

NEW DELHI: The Union Home Ministry has conveyed to the Election Commission that it is ready to provide 85,000 paramilitary personnel for deployment in the upcoming assembly elections in five states, including politically crucial Uttar Pradesh.

This was conveyed to the Election Commission after it asked the Home Ministry to make available one lakh personnel for deployment during the assembly elections expected to be held in next two months.

At a high-level meeting held today, the Home Ministry has expressed its inability to provide 1,000 companies of paramilitary forces as sought by the Election Commission but committed to provide 850 companies for the polls, official sources said.

A company of paramilitary force comprised of around 100 personnel.

In addition to the Central forces, police forces of all states will be deployed for the election duties.

The Home Ministry will now accumulate 150 companies, most of which are belonging to State Armed Police forces and India Reserve Battalions, from different states for election duties.

Rest of the forces will be from central paramilitary forces, sources said.

Assembly elections in Punjab, Uttarakhand, Goa and Manipur are expected to be held in single phase while in Uttar Pradesh it is likely to be multi-phased.

The schedule for the polls is likely to be announced by the EC within a week.